It pays to be a University professor.
The University ranks significantly higher than other Michigan schools in faculty salaries, with full University professors earning an average of $91,900 each year.
Wayne State professor wages came in a distant second at $78,900 per year.
The University's average is impressive, but it is still below many other top universities nationwide.
"We're one of the world's great universities," said University Associate Provost Paul Courant, "We must pay salaries in line with other great higher education institutions to be competitive, and the fact that we are lower is a matter of great concern."
Among Big Ten schools, Michigan ranks second behind Northwestern, whose professors earn average annual wages of $101,400.
"Certainly the ability to recruit and retain is dependent on competitive faculty salaries, not only in the Big Ten, but also with other comparable universities like (the University of California at) Berkeley and Northwestern (University)," said Vice President for University Relations Lisa Baker.
Berkeley pays professors an average $92,700, the average Stanford professor makes $111,000, and Harvard pays the most with an average salary of $116,000.
"I think we are more competitive in certain units," said physiology Prof. Louis D'Alecy, chair of the faculty's governing body.
"But I know in the Medical School, we are not competitive on a national basis," he said.
The average salary varies by department, and some of the higher salaries are in the College of Engineering, the School of Nursing, and College of Pharmacy, D'Alecy said.
The average salary of Medical professors is $81,312, and the average Engineering professor makes $102,992 per year.
"I think the administration of the Medical School has been ineffective in pushing for appropriate salaries," D'Alecy said.
The average Law School professor makes more than professors in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts. The reason for the higher salary is obvious because lawyers get paid more, Courant said.
The competition to recruit the best faculty in the nation has resulted in substantial salary increases, D'Alecy said. During the 1997-1998 school year, faculty salaries increased 3.4 percent - double the rate of inflation.
"I think overall salaries are getting quite high," D'Alecy said.
Raising faculty salaries does not directly correspond to the tuition paid by students. Therefore, an increase in faculty salaries would not necessarily correlate to a tuition increase, D'Alecy said.
Faculty salaries are drawn from the general fund, which is made up of mostly tuition money, state appropriations and research grants; therefore, if faculty salaries were raised, other expenditures would have to be cut.
04-10-98
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